Recent content by ReefKeeper

Most wineries use solid silicone bungs on their barrels. Food for thought.

Pumpkinman is right. You want the finished wine to be a nutrient desert. I won't add nutrient beyond the first half of alcoholic fermentation if there isn't a hydrogen sulfide issue.

Experiment away. Sounds delicious.

You stand the bottles up right for a few days to allow the corks to expand from the compression of corking, to ensure a seal... not to let compressed air out. We skip this step when bottling at the winery I work at and package them in the case upside down as they come off the line. Can you...

The stainless mix-stir is probably going to be the most bang for your buck. I recommend the stainless one because the plastic mix stir snapped in half on me after about a year. I don't know have strong of a vacuum a carboy can take. Good luck with the batch.

Yes, and no. Aromatic whites like Guwurztraminer are best consumed young in most cases. On the flip side, a well made Chardonnay or Riesling can age side by side with some of the most robust reds. The white wine kits I've made have only lasted 6 months before degrading. :(

The biggest drawback to synthetics is that they allow more air ingress than any other enclosure. They are also harder to compress so you will need a floor corker for them. My wines generally don't last more than a year or two so I'm fine with amalgamated corks. I f I wanted to age longer than...

The whip is probably the least effective of the drill mounted degassers. You can try a mix-stir, but avoid creating a vortex which will incorporate oxygen into the wine. On the plus side, when your wine is saturated with CO2, there is a decreased risk of oxygen pick up. I use an All in One...

How do you skip over Chuck Norris? Seriously?!?!?

I'm a big fan of the Noble Pils. Definitely their best beer IMO.

time out

No good

I too was disappointed with Dragon's Milk, but it don't think it belongs on this list.

At heart, I'm a winemaker by trade and a brewer for fun. I really enjoyed the Midas Touch, 61 IPA, and Noble Rot because I enjoy the fusion of my two favorite passions. They are not something I'd want to drink a lot of in one sitting, and I can see how someone would not like any of them...